Public Disclosure Authorized MONGOLIA Public Disclosure Authorized Groundwater Assessment of the Southern Gobi Region April 2010 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized THE WORLD BANK © 2010 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 USA April 2010 All rights reserved. This study was prepared by the Social, Environment and Rural Development Unit (EASER) of the East Asia and Pacific Region, and was funded by the World Bank's Netherlands-Mongolia Trust Fund for Environmental Reform. Social, environment and rural development issues are an integral part of the development challenge in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region. The World Bank's Sustainable Development Strategy for the region provides the conceptual framework for setting priorities, strengthening the policy and institutional frameworks for sustainable development, and addressing key environmental, social and rural development challenges through projects, programs, policy dia- logue, non-lending services, and partnerships. The EASER Discussion Paper series provides a forum for discussion on good practices and policy issues within the development community and with client countries. The publication and primary data are available online at www.worldbank.org/mn and www.worldbank.org/nemo. Suggested citation: Tuinhof, A. and Buyanhisnig, N. 2010. Groundwater Assessment of the Southern Gobi Region. Mongolia Discussion Papers, East Asia and Pacific Sustainable Development Department. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. Contact details: Albert Tuinhof, Director, Acacia Water, Gouda, The Netherlands, [email protected] Buyankhishig Nemer, Department of Hydrogeology and Geoecology, Mongolian University of Science and Technol- ogy, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, [email protected] Cover photograph: Livestock trough of groundwater, Tony Whitten ___________________________________________________________________________________________ This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Execu- tive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. 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All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202- 522-2422, e-mail [email protected]. Table of Contents FOREWORD ...................................................................................................................................VII ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................IX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................................................XI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................XIII 1. WATER RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT IN MONGOLIA ..................................................................1 General Features ...................................................................................................................................1 Water Resources ...................................................................................................................................3 Surface water ..............................................................................................................................3 Groundwater ...............................................................................................................................3 Water quality ...............................................................................................................................6 Water Use .............................................................................................................................................6 Drinking water supply ..................................................................................................................7 Agricultural water use ...................................................................................................................8 Industrial and energy water use .....................................................................................................8 Other water uses ...........................................................................................................................8 Summary .....................................................................................................................................9 Water Institutions and Regulation ........................................................................................................9 Institutional framework ................................................................................................................9 Policies .......................................................................................................................................10 Laws ........................................................................................................................................11 Water Pricing .....................................................................................................................................11 2. THE SOUTH GOBI REGION ......................................................................................................13 Physical Description ...........................................................................................................................13 Demography and Economic Development .........................................................................................14 Population .................................................................................................................................14 Economic development ................................................................................................................14 Water Use and Water Supply ..............................................................................................................15 Current water demand and use ...................................................................................................15 Water supply infrastructure .........................................................................................................19 Future water demands ................................................................................................................19 iii Groundwater Assessment of the Southern Gobi Region 3. GROUNDWATER OCCURRENCE AND POTENTIAL ...........................................................................23 Groundwater Occurrence: Explanation and Terminology ...................................................................23 Aquifers .....................................................................................................................................23 Fossil or non-renewable groundwater ...........................................................................................24 Geology ..............................................................................................................................................24 Aquifer Systems in the SGR ...............................................................................................................25 Aquifer productivity ...................................................................................................................25 Aquifer Continuity .....................................................................................................................26 Recharged aquifers and fossil aquifers ..........................................................................................26 Groundwater Recharge .......................................................................................................................27 Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge ......................................................................28 Investigations .............................................................................................................................28 Groundwater reserve and potential estimations ............................................................................30 Groundwater Quality .........................................................................................................................31